Spoon-cover.



E. THBRIAULT.

SPOON COVER.

APPLIOATIOI FILED NOV; 18, 1908.

Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

3111mm for damn,

cnLulnlA WWII CO..WASHINGION. n. c,

EPIPHANE THERIAULT, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPOON-COVER. 2i

Application filed November 18, 1908.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1911. Serial No. 463,321.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EPIPHANE Tnnnr- AULT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Taunton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented oer-"- tain new and useful Improvements in Spoon-Covers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in spoon covers, but more especially spoons. which are adapted for use in givingmedicine to infants or small children.

The object of this invention is to prevent the contents of a spoon from spilling and soiling the clothes or wasting'the contents of the spoon when raised at an angle, causing the liquid to run gradually into the mouth, as the spoon cover will hold the liquid in the spoon, and consequently it Wlll flow out of the small opening formed in the end of the cover adjacent to the point of the s oon. Most of medicines that are taken by ciiildren are mixed with a menstruum not only to weaken the strength ofthe medicine, but to overcome the taste of the same.

This spoon cover is perfectly sanitary, as there are no points or'corners wherein microbes or other bacteria can lodge, as in some spoon covers which are hinged or have the covers integral therewith.

The present invention is so constructed and arrangedmthat the cover which extends the entire length of the spoon is comparatively a rigid fixture, as it is held by friction on a spoon yet can be immediately re moved.

The one important feature of this invention is the opening formed in the back portion of the cover, which allows the air to escape from the spoon as it is being filled with liquid from a vessel, by this means the s oon becomes filled with liquid; otherwise ii the openin was not in the spoon the compressed air fiierein would retard the flow of incoming liquid, when the spoon would be only artly filled with medicine.

The e ges of the cover of this invention are on the inside of the spoon and fit closely therein by means of clasps embracing the edge of the spoon on top and under surfaces thereof, by this construction liquids cannot escape from the sides of the spoon, but only from the small opening at the front end thereof. The clas s of this invention can also be provided w th slight projecti ns.

to engage notches on the under side of a spoon.

Spoons that have their covers extending over the edges thereof are objectionable, as

they do not fit closely along the edges of a spoon, consequently the liquid therein is deposited on the garments when used for medical purposes.

VVith the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawlngs forming part of this specification, wherein like characters denote correspondlng parts in the several views, in which E1gure1- represents my improved spoon cove-r attached to a spoon in a perspective v ew. 't'F 1g. 2 represents an exaggerated vlew in cross section of the spoon cover and spoon. Fig. 3- represents the spoon cover detached froma spoon. Fig 4 represents a, bottom view of a portion of aspoon. Fig. 5 represents an inside view of the spoon cover having one of the olasps distended exhibitin the projection thereon. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail cross sectional view through the'spoon and cover.

This improved spoon cover can be adapted for any spoon, and used for other purposes than t-aking medicine. The spoon A, is of ordinary construction and provided with a smooth continuous are shaped edge or rim A and a bowl A Mounted immediately over the bowl of the spoon is a concavo-convex cover B, which is removably secured by means of clasps C,.on opposite sides of the spoon cover. These clasps are bent inwardly as indicated at C, so as to envelop the edges A of the spoon.

It will be observed that the clasps C, have a quick upward turn from the top of the cover, as indicated at G in Fig. 1- of the accompanying drawings, the object of which isto allow the edge of the cover to drop down inside of the spoon, thus forming a space A around the edge of said spoon to catch any liquid that may remain on the top of the cover B, when removing the spoon from a glass containing liquid in which case the liquid would flow down the edges A of the spoon and into the opening E, or if medicine is being adminlio or for the purpose in which the contentstherein is to be utilized. The are shaped opening D, at the rear end of said cover B,

is somewhat larger in size than the opening E, referred to, which is designed to allqw the air to passout quickly so as to fill the spoon entirely full when putting the spoon into a glass of water or other liquid. If the opening D, did not exist the spoon would become only partly filled, as the compressed air therein would retard the flow of liquid within the covered spoon, and would be detrimental to the object inview.

In the figures illustrating this invention the clasps O, projex'tsome distance from the body of the cover, which has been partly explained, and they are large in their circular contour whereby they can yield at their edges C, when being slipped over a. spoon, by this means they will have a greater frictional contact, and also seal the edges of said cover more closely around the inside A of the spoon. When necessary to remove the cover from the spoon, a slight pull will cause it to slide along the edges ofthe spoon.

The main object in having a removably securedv cover, is to clean the parts thoroughly after being used, asany particles from milk or similar products will soon germinate, which is'detrimental to health.

Those covers which are a permanent fixture on a spoon cannot beso thoroughly cleaned as applicants removable cover.

In Fig. 5, one of the clasps C, is bent backward, exhibiting the edge 0*- and. also a projecting point C the latter is designed to engage-the recesses formed in the bottom of a spoon, as indicated at a, in Fig. 4, 01? the drawings his not absolutely necessary to have the point C, nor the recesses a, in the spoon as the friction of the clasps is considered sufiicient for holding the cover in afixedyand permanent position.

I do not limit myself to the exact construction as shown, as other devices of a somewhat similar character may be employed and come within the scope of my inventlon.

Claim.

In combination with a spoon having an oval bowl with a convex under surface, a convex-concave cover smaller. than the bowl and adapted to fit in said bowl, the ends of the cover being cut-away to form passages when the cover is in place in the bowl and the sides of the cover snugly engaging the inner side walls of the bowl, and clasps 1ntegral with the cover sides, said clasps being curved to fit the edges of the bowl and snugly engage the under convex surface of said bowl, the terminals of the clasps being provided with projections and the under surface of the bowl being provided with recesses to receive the projections.

In testimony whereof I aflix my 'slgnature in presence oftwo witnesses.

EPIPHANE THERIAULT.

Witnesses: 4

ALPHoNsE F. MILOT, WM. THERRIAULT.

Copies 01 tliis patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D.- G. 

